Written In Blood and Sand
by S. Sgriobhadaireachd
Summary: There's always things going on in the No Man's Land. (Drabbles written for OniGil's No Man's Land AU)
1. Big Girls

**Chapter Summary** : Drift and Wing try to help the two newest members of their group adjust to their new lives.

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" _It's time to be a big girl now, and big girls don't cry." –_ **Big Girls by Fergie**

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Iron Town was a small town, nestled in a rare fertile area in the No Man's Land that kept her citizens alive. Painstaking effort from every villager created the river they had diverted from a water source further away, providing everyone and everything with the life-giving substance. Here in their little corner of heaven, the threat of the civil war happening further to the west was far removed from their thoughts. They wanted nothing to do with the war; that was the problems of the city folk, not them.

It lulled them into a false sense of security, leaving them unprepared when the war did come to their paradise.

Like most attacks, it came swift and suddenly, with no warning. Not that either side would have bothered to warn the villagers. There wasn't time for that. They weren't important enough. They were just a small town staking out an existence. They had no provisions to spare, no weapons to offer or soldiers to enlist. They were insignificant in the eyes of the superiors.

It was horrifying how easy the town and her people had been to level, how only in the space of a few hours, a smoking crater remained where a community had once been. The soldiers left as quickly as they had come, the thundering of their vehicles and feet and weaponry fading into the red horizon as the fighting continued elsewhere. Behind them, they left the smoldering ruins of buildings and the bodies of their comrades, enemies and innocents. The empty gun casings, the broken weaponry, the bombs and landmines lodged deep in the earth.

And they left two survivors, in a town that had housed almost seventy. Two girls, left to die with the rest of their friends and family.

It was only by divine intervention that they were found by people who could help take care of them, people who through gentle coaxing and several promises pulled them out of their hiding places and into the open air. People who didn't wear the purple or red sigils of the soldiers that attacked them. People who were _safe_. They wouldn't have survived long on their own, but with these two mysterious women, maybe they had a chance.

Slipstream thought they were angels sent by Primus. Jetstorm didn't quite know what to think of them.

"Are you warm enough?" Wing asked. The two young girls sat close to the fire, using its heat to keep their bodies warm against the cool night. Her voice was soothing, melodious and warm, like the voice of their mothers. The fire danced in her gold eyes, turning them into luminous circles in the night. Drift watched them quietly as she placed more wood on the fire, her expression unreadable.

"Yes, thank you." Slipstream said softly, just loud enough to be heard over the crackling of the fire. Jetstorm didn't bother to answer, her eyes fixed on the fire and a million miles away from their campsite. The two women glanced at each other as silence blanketed the campsite, understanding each other without words.

Only the noise of the fire and the occasional wildlife broke the quiet. Slipstream tried to ignore the sounds of the fire, tried to ignore the memories that threatened to rise of fires burning all through Iron Town and had continued to burn long after the armies left. Her hands clenched on her forearms hard enough to hurt. They could shut their eyes to the carnage, hide in the rubble of their used-to-be homes, but they couldn't shut their ears to it.

 _There was a commotion going on outside. People shouting, moving, running…it sounded like the town on market day, only louder and market day was still far away. Why was everyone running? Why were they scared?_

" _Slipstream!"_

" _Mom? Mom, what's wrong?"_

" _Slipstream, I need you to stay in the house. Something's happened and you need to stay in here, no matter what. Do you understand?"_

" _Mom, what's going on? Why are people shouting?"_

" _Stay in the house, Slipstream!"_

That was the last memory she had of her mother, dark auburn hair coiling down her shoulders, sapphire eyes flashing with fear and love, a soft smile on her face and the last hug and kiss she gave Slipstream before leaving the house.

She stood in her house, fidgeting and waiting for…whatever had Mom frightened to leave. The commotion was only getting louder, leaving her worried and confused about what was going on.

Slipstream got her answer a moment later, when the ground shook with amazing force and throwing her into the nearby table. A distant, dull _boom_ accompanied it, overlaid with the panicked screams of people and crack of gunfire. Then came another earth-shaking boom, and another, and another, until there were too many to count. Slipstream ran to the furthest corner of her home, trembling in fear and tucking herself into the corner as far as she could, screaming in terror when the walls of her home were blown in…

"Slipstream?"

Slipstream jerked, suddenly wrenched from her memories as a warm hand was gently laid against her arm. Wing was much closer now, watching them worriedly, with Drift close behind her.

She was shaking, and not from the cold. She stared at Wing, fighting with her mind as it superimposed memories of Mom over Wing's face, mixing the same gentle smiles with the same warm eyes. Mom wasn't here anymore, she was gone, her burned body alongside everyone else…

 _Gone_.

A sob burst out of her throat and she dove at Wing, clutching the woman's midriff with surprising strength. "Mom, _Mom!_ " She cried, her thin body shaking with the force of her sobs.

It was only moments later that warm arms enveloped her, wrapping her in a cocoon of safety and protection. "It's okay, it's okay." Wing murmured near her ear. "You're safe now. I promise."

Jetstorm watched Slipstream, attentive of her every movement and wary at having Wing so near the only friend she had left. These strangers hadn't hurt them, and had helped them after everyone they knew and loved had been killed by those…monsters, but they were still strangers. Strangers who weren't their parents, who had no reason to care.

A similar urge to hurtle herself into Wing's arms warred with those thoughts, the grief of losing their village nearly drowning her. Blinking furiously, she stared into the fire, willing the bright image to burn away the memories of dead bodies and soldiers with guns.

"She's right, you know. You're safe now."

Her head snapped around to face Drift, who kept her distance but watched her carefully. She wasn't as touchy or as open as Wing was, but she acted like she _understood_. She knew what it was like to have your world ripped out from under you, when circumstances beyond your control ripped everything you held dear and gave you nothing in return. Her eyes held no judgment or pity; only sadness and that understanding.

She stubbornly returned her gaze back to the fire, willing Drift to go away and leave her alone. She was fine; she was a big girl. Big girls don't cry.

Primus didn't hear her wishes; she was acutely aware of Drift settling near her. Not too close, but close enough she could reach out and touch her easily. Her eyes flicked towards her, but the older woman was facing the fire, the light dancing in her blue eye.

"It's okay to not be okay, kid."

Jetstorm refused to give any indication of hearing, trying to focus on the fire. Go, big woman. Shoo. Leave her alone.

"What happened there…never should've happened. They should've never been anywhere near your town, and they damn well never should've involved any of you in that war." She sighed heavily, reaching for a stick nearby to poke the fire. Embers shot out into the night sky, flickering and vanishing in the inky blackness.

Two blue eyes flickered back and forth between her and the fire. "You and Slip should've never seen any of that crap. Stuff like that…it can mess with you. Trust me, I know."

 _I know._ The words lodged in her throat. _It's messed with you. I've seen you when you cry and talk in your sleep._ She had listened to Drift in the darkness late at night, listened to the string of nonsense coming from her until Wing awoke and calmed her down.

"And it's gonna take time to deal with it. But that's okay. It's okay to cry, to yell, to…I don't know, do whatever you gotta do to get it out of you. It's okay."

Jetstorm squeezed her eyes shut, trying to keep the tears from leaking out even as she began to tremble. Drift's words were letting her emotions out, giving them an escape route. Part of her desperately wanted to let them go, but another part was terrified of letting them go. They would sweep her away, carrying her away in their grief, like a leaf in a river.

"I can't promise much; there's not a lot in this screwed-over world I can promise, even to myself. But I promise you, Wing and I will take care of you. We won't abandon you."

Jetstorm opened her eyes, staring directly into Drift's eyes as she stared at the girl before her. They were dark with the shadow of broken innocence over them, yet in their depths she could see utter and complete trust that only a child could have.

"Promise?" Her voice was scratchy and rough from disuse; this was the first time she had spoken since the attack days ago.

"I promise." Drift repeated.

And like that, a dam broke in Jetstorm. The girl had been stubbornly holding in everything, trying to help Slipstream even as she drowned herself, but it was finally too much.

Drift curled an arm around the crying girl, stroking her hair and meeting Wing's gaze over the girls' heads. She smiled sadly as she held Slipstream close to her, her heart aching for the two children in their arms. The red-head's tears had subsided as both she and Wing watched Jetsorm and Drift, exhaustion wearing down on every inch of her twelve-year old features. In the harsh shadows of the fire, she looked much older than she really was.

It wasn't long before exhaustion wore Jetstorm out as well, her crying dwindling down into the occasional shuddering sob as she began to drift off to sleep, her emotions and energy spent.

"I think," Wing said after a moment. "That it's time for you two to get some sleep." Neither girl protested as they were pulled into strong arms and laid to rest on blankets, eyelids drooping heavily.

"Don't leave." Slipstream pleaded as Wing pulled another blanket over them. Wing smiled at her, stretching over them to place a kiss on both their heads.

"We'll be right here." She assured the girl, smoothing her hair back as her eyes finally fell shut, clasping hands with Jetstorm and snuggling closer to her as she slipped off into sleep. "Sweet dreams, you two."

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 _So the story behind this fic is that OniGil has an absolutely fantastic AU that I fell completely in love with and I ended up writing some stories and posting them on my old blog. They were lost when I deleted them and I reposted them here so that she could enjoy them._

 _You will be super lost about what's going on unless you go read her fic, No Man's Land, or check out the story on Tumblr. I completely recommend it; I mean, a post-apocalypse story about BA and PoC women taking on the world? What more could someone want?_

 _As always, I'm on Tumblr if you'd like to come by and say hi and I hope you're having a great day!_


	2. All Grown Up

**Chapter Summary:** It's been six years since Slipstream and Jetstorm joined the Knights and they're determined to help Wing and Drift save their war-torn world.

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 _"Well, I've been afraid of changin' 'cause I built my life around you, but time makes you bolder, children get older and I'm getting older too..."_ - **Landslide by Dixie Chicks**

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There wasn't a whole lot that could throw Drift, once known as a fierce killer and loyal Decepticon under the alias Deadlock, for a loop. Growing up an orphan in one of the harshest places in the world, becoming an extremist soldier and then turning into a wandering ronin delivering aid in a war-torn world had a way of showing you everything, good, bad and ugly. She had seen huge-scale slave rings spanning most of the continent and involving some very powerful people, warlords who got it in their heads that they were saviors of people and put them under their "utopias", human beings sold to be breeders or experiments for doctors with moral compasses that didn't point north (Ratchet had worked herself into quite the fury over that particular adventure) and a civil war that still raged, six and a half years later. She had been shot, stabbed, choked, tortured, starved, drugged, infected with deadly illnesses and suffered plenty more.

Long story short, Drift was a jaded woman.

It never ceased to amuse her whenever neutrals that she and Wing helped warned her of the dangers they were facing, or fretted over the great strength of their enemies. And to them, to people who lived quiet lives and raised families without ever raising a gun or losing everything they owned, they were powerful and untouchable. But to her, they were insects, easily swept away in the gales of a storm or crushed under the heel of a boot. _She_ was the one the innocents and slavers alike should fear.

Wing had a way of balancing that ferocity out, with her infectious smile and boundless energy. Most people they met didn't believe she was an accomplished warrior nearly as they watched her play with children or squeal over little things like ice cream, but it was an advantage she frequently used to gain the upper hand. That perky, happy woman wasn't present at the moment as she listened to the mayor and his advisors describe the situation, her eyebrows furrowed as she nodded and asked questions.

The current situation wasn't the worst they had ever been in, but the numerous concourses of their enemies warranted more help than just the two of them. A local warlord, most likely a defector from the war, wanted to claim the surrounding area and her people under her protection. Protection that just happened to include a heavy tax and giving her absolute power over their lives. The village didn't have enough of a defense to keep them out, just a small guard to keep public menaces under control and give the people a sense of protection.

"What's the verdict?" She asked Wing once they left the mayor's house, keeping her voice low so they wouldn't be overheard by people bustling to and fro.

"We can possibly do it, but it would be difficult. Blackarachnia doesn't sound like she's a very strong warlord, at least not like some of the others we've met." She murmured back. "She just happens to outnumber us, and even though you and I are pretty good, we're not _that_ good."

"What are you talking about? Of course we're that good. Are you getting slow in your old age?" Drift teased, grinning at her companion. "I think I'm starting to see some white in all that red hair of yours and I don't think that's from a dye job."

"That's rich, coming from you and your hair that turned white when you was a teenager." Wing retorted with a laugh, running her fingers through said hair for emphasis. The white had long ago faded out of her hair, leaving a blazing red behind. "So that leaves us with the option of risking it and fighting them head on, or holding back and trying to defend the city. Neither option sounds really good to me."

"Risky either way." Drift agreed. Fortifying themselves in the city might be safer in the beginning, but they would also be locking themselves in. "Would it be worth it to contact Ratchet or Rodimus, see if either of them would be able to send some help? Help even the odds?" Even though she wasn't eager to work with Autobot soldiers, they needed all the help they could get and she trusted those two.

"We might as well try, but I don't know if they'll be able to get anyone here in time." Wing pointed out. "It's just you and me."

"Those are pretty good odds." Drift said. "I'll bet money on us any day. We haven't got this far just to let some renegade soldier on a power trip stop us now."

Wing grinned, stopping to reach out and press her palm against her lover's face. "You and your confidence," she said with a mock sigh. "What am I going to do with you?"

"I know _exactly_ what you can do with me and my confidence." Drift assured her, pulling Wing to her to plant a kiss on those delightful lips.

* * *

Drift bit down a curse as a hail of bullets rained over their heads, ducking behind her rock just in time. A second or two later and she probably would have lost an eye. She could easily imagine the chewing out Ratchet would give her if that happened, especially losing it to a group of Blackarachnia's soldiers they had been tracking.

Wing was equally as trapped behind a rock nearby, her swords useless from so far back. Her expression was tight and frustrated as she tried to figure out a way to their attackers without getting caught in a hail of bullets.

"C'mon out and play with the big girls!" One of the attackers, a mountain of a woman with a machine gun half the size of Drift in her hands, bellowed as she gleefully unleashed a hail of bullets against the rocks. Her other companions joined in, their laughter ringing with the sound of the bullets.

 _Just_ wait _until we can play, then we'll see who's laughing._ Drift promised silently, catching sight of a scrawny man and landing a clean shot on his torso. He fell out of sight with a howl. A renewed wave of bullets shot after Drift, but it was worth landing the shot. Served the idiot right.

A flash of movement from Wing's area caught Drift's attention. She locked eyes with her companion, the faintest flickers and movements relaying her thoughts to Drift. A plan of attack; a distraction to give her time to go the long way around and get at them from the back.

Drift nodded back, pulling out her other gun as they waited for a pause in the gunfire Drift could use. It came a few moments later, a pause just long enough for them to take advantage of.

 _Go_.

Exhaling, Drift pushed herself over her rocky cover, ready to put bullets in the soldiers or at the very least force them to focus on her or take cover.

But there were no soldiers. Where the battalion of six had been, discarded guns and weapons remained, along with a dusty imprint of their shoes.

 _What the-?_

Wing halted with her motions, catching Drift's confusion. Cautiously, she pushed herself above her cover, eyes widening when she noticed the absence of their attackers. She glanced back at Drift, eyebrows furrowed, her mouth opening-

-when a muffled shout caught their attention. Tensing, the two pressed forward, cautiously watching for any sudden movements but spotting none.

"…p-please don't kill me! I don't want to die!"

One of the soldiers was speaking, whimpering and begging for her life. Someone else spoke, an unfamiliar voice.

"Relax, we're not going to kill you. It's against our moral code." The statement was joined by another, spoken by a new person.

"We're just gonna put you to sleep for awhile. You might have a nasty headache when you wake up, but I'm sure you can handle it. Sleep tight!"

The last part was punctuated with the _whump_ of something solid connecting with a skull. The whimpering soldier fell silent, as did the two other speakers.

Both women halted, pressing themselves against the rock and flicking a glance at each other. New attackers, and ones who had caught the battalion by surprise. Attackers skilled enough to creep up unnoticed and not get hurt at close range. Attackers who also didn't kill, at least according to them.

They so didn't need this.

"Your hair's redder than I remember it being." The voices were suddenly much closer, almost right next to them. Years of reflexes that had kept her alive kicked into action and within a moment, Drift had the barrel of her guns against the newcomers' foreheads, not aware of who she was looking at in the rush of reflexes. Despite having guns leveled against them, the newcomers were calm, blue eyes staring into Drift's mismatched ones. "Hello to you too, Drift."

 _Wait, she knew those voices…_

Wing was a hair faster than Drift, gasping in delight as she sheathed her swords and reaching for the newcomers eagerly. "Slipstream?! Jetstorm?!"

The two girls, now mature women, smiled in unison. Black and red armor with white and gold accents protected their bodies from the elements and attacks, though on what skin was visible, there were collections of scars. Their hair was longer than it had been before; Jetstorm's reached past her shoulder blades and was bound in a tight braid, while Slipstream's ran down past her chin and sported two small braids near her ears, remarkable similar to someone else's hairstyle. Bound on either side of their hips were an assortment of weapons, among other things needed to survive in the No Man's Land.

"Hey Wing, long time no see!" The black haired woman eagerly embraced Wing along with her sister. "Last time we saw you, you still had white in your hair!"

Wing laughed, the sound ringing through the air. "I haven't had white in my hair for years now! Look at you two, you're so big!"

"It's been awhile." Slipstream said with a smile. It certainly had been; the last time they had seen Wing and Drift was when they were fourteen and preparing to start more advanced knight training. Quite a bit had changed since then. "It's so good to see you again."

"We came to see if you guys needed any help. Apparently, you need all the help you can get if you can't even handle these guys." Jetstorm gestured to their attackers not far from them, all knocked out. She smirked openly at the two older women, a playful sparkle in her eyes.

"Hush you," Drift retorted, the words lacking any real heat as she holstered her guns and pulled the women into a fierce hug. "I can still beat you."

"I'd like to see you try." Jetstorm taunted playfully, earning a light shove from Drift.

"What are you doing out here?" Wing asked, beaming like the Festival of Light had come early. She eagerly grasped their hands, squeezing them. "I thought you were training with Axe and the others back at the city still!"

The twins shared a grin, glancing at each other. "Not anymore. We became full-fledged knights a few months ago." Slipstream explained, shifting her shoulders to display the hilt of a Great Sword strapped to her back. Her twin did the same.

"We had to work ridiculously hard to get inducted early, but it was worth it." Jetstorm added.

Wing gasped, beaming proudly as she admired their weapons and heaped congratulations out like a proud mother. Drift let out a low, appreciative whistle. "Playing with the big girls now." She said as she eyed the swords.

"Dai Atlas wanted us to wait until we were 'old enough' to handle the Passing Trials." Slipstream said. Drift rolled her eyes at the mention of the head of Crystal City but miraculously kept her mouth shut. "But we eventually got her to agree to the idea, especially after we proved ourselves worthy. Axe and some of the others supported us. We would have called you back for the ceremony, but we wanted to come find you and couldn't wait."

The two older women frowned in confusion. "Us?" Drift asked. "You didn't have to come find us; you could've just sent a message and we would've come back to the city." Wing nodded her agreement.

"We didn't want you to come back to the city; we wanted to come out here and find you because we wanted to join you guys. We want to help you protect people." Jetstorm countered, looking determined. "We didn't want to sit in the city when people out here need our help."

Drift's features became thoughtful. It made sense to her.

"But it's dangerous out here!" Wing protested, looking worried at the idea of the twins joining them in such a harsh lifestyle. "You'd be safer in the city!"

"Wing, we're not kids anymore." Slipstream reminded her. "We're fully trained knights, with Great Swords of our own. Do you think Axe would have let us out of the city if we weren't competent enough to defend ourselves and others?"

"Besides, we wouldn't have even survived if hadn't been for you two. We want to do the same for others." Jetstorm said, firm and unmovable in her decision.

"But-!" A calloused hand grasped Wing's shoulder, cutting her off.

"They're right, you know." Drift said. Her voice was quiet but firm. "They're knights and they're strong enough to handle it out here. They've made their decision."

"If it makes you feel any better, we got sidetracked helping people when we were looking for you. We couldn't always do much, but we did vanquish some crazy vigilantes, save some women from being sold and dethrone a few robber barons." Jetstorm added helpfully.

Drift raised an eyebrow, smiling faintly. "Not too bad of a resume."

"But…" Wing protested again, weaker than before but still just as worried. They were so _young_ , so important to her…

"With you two, we'll be fine." Slipstream assured her, squeezing one of her hands. Wing hesitated, searching the twins' eyes in worry before glancing at Drift, who nodded her agreement. Three against one.

She sighed heavily in defeat. A wise knight knew when it was time to stop fighting. "Alright, I agree." she said softly.

The battle won, Jetstorm relaxed and grinned at them like the cat who ate the canary. "I like these odds. The four of us, kicking ass and taking names all in the name of justice and truth. Now, what's this we've been hearing about a warlord…?"

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 _I am always down for the twins and the ronin having crazy adventures together and saving the day! I drew some artwork and posted it on my old blog, so I might go digging through my old archives and post it again._


	3. Iudex pt1

**Chapter Summary** : Wing and Star Saber's morning sparring doesn't go the way they planned.

 **Note** : Okay, the nature of this chapter and the chapter after it necessitates me explaining what's happening here so no one gets hopelessly lost. This is based off an AU of the AU where fusion exists and it is used in warfare (i.e., Drift and Turmoil fuse, Wing and Drift fuse, etc.) I ended up thinking of a fusion between Star Saber and Iudex, who cannot stand each other in the No Man's Land verse, and just how weirdly awesome and destructive that could be. OniGil and I ended up gushing over it and I wrote some drabbles based on it. As of now, I haven't finished the other parts, but hopefully I can wrap this up sometime!

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 _"All I want to do is see you turn into a giant woman, a giant woman! All I want to be is someone who gets to see a giant woman..."_ - **Steven Universe**

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Dawn had broken not too long ago; the sun was still low on the horizon, bathing only the top part of the tallest buildings in her light. Few were awake this time of morning, mostly those with duties or jobs that required them to be awake before the general populace. Or those who were naturally early risers, like many of the city's knights. The quiet and calm that the dawn provided was the perfect time to center themselves and practice their routines in the Warrior's Halls.

This morning, however, the Halls were not quiet. There was the faint sound of swords crashing together, just loud enough to be distracting to those trying to meditate.

"They're _already_ at it?" High up in the balconies of the sparring rings, a few knights watched two of their own fighting down below. "Primus above, can't they give it a rest until it's at least some sane hour of the day?"

"You know them," another knight said, leaning on the railing as she watched. "They won't give it a rest ever."

"If they did," one chimed in, sitting against a support pillar as she also watched. "Then the world would probably stop turning."

"Or the war would come to a stop." Another pointed out. A few tired laughs came from her companions, attention briefly deviating as a shout came from below as one of the swordfighters pushed back her opponent near the edge of the ring.

"Who do you think is going to win this time?" The first knight asked, dark eyes on the dancing knights.

"Well, they're fighting with swords, so definitely Star Saber. Wing's never going to beat her." The knight learning against the rail replied, confident in her assessment.

"Don't let her hear you say that. She'll beat you up."

The group laughed again, more amusement than exhaustion this time. "Wing wouldn't beat me up. She'd probably sabotage my food or hide my sword. Star Saber would be the one to beat people up."

Her friend shuddered. "You'll never catch me saying that around her. Wing maybe, but definitely not Star."

"Aww, you don't want a chance to spar with one of the Order's best Knights?" The sitting knight asked, faintly teasing. "It would be a great honor, considering everyone's beneath her in her mind."

"No thank you. I've seen her when she spars; I don't feel the need to go visit Redline for punctured lungs and broken bones."

* * *

Her arms and legs burned as she parried and swung her sword, her bones ringing with the force of metal hitting metal. Her lungs screamed for air, despite her attempts to keep her breathing regulated. _Focus_ , she reminded herself. _Remember your core_. If she slipped up for even a moment, it would be the end.

A well-placed blow forced her back, her opponent grinning down at her as she launched a furry of attacks, forcing her to keep her guard up or open weak spots for her to attack. She gritted her teeth, watching for an opening she could use. Her enemy couldn't keep this up forever.

 _There_.

In a burst of speed, she swung her body, using her momentum to bring her sword against her foe's weapon. Now she could get close enough to disarm her-

Her sword only hit empty air, throwing her off for just a moment too long. The sharp blow of her enemy's sword came from nowhere and Peerless flew from her hands. A sudden kick in the next moment brought her to the ground, followed by the cold bite of steel sliding against her neck. She froze, not daring to move with that lethal weapon so close to her.

" _Pathetic_." Her opponent sneered, maneuvering her blade to force her defeated opponent to look up at her. Sapphire eyes blazed, taking obvious delight in the situation in front of her. "Did you honestly think I would fall for that? You're stupider than I thought."

Wing scowled, refusing to answer as a wave of anger, rooted in humiliation, rose up in her. Star Saber laughed, a cruel sound, shaking her head. "Oh, Wing, when will you learn that you can never beat me? I am the best no matter how many times you fight me. Just accept the truth."

"Never say never." She spit out, trying for calm and failing as she quietly repeated the mantra's of a knight in her head. _A Knight never responds in anger_ , she told herself firmly. _Don't let her get to you._ Easier said than done; Star Saber had a way of getting under her skin just by being there. "Your arrogance will be your downfall one day."

"Better than being a humble, atheistic failure." She retorted, her grin growing at the spark of anger in Wing's eyes. "Aww, did I hurt your feelings? You don't want to think about 'that'?"

"Again," Wing ground out, slapping the flat side of the blade away from her neck and rising to retrieve Peerless.

"You must really want to be punished for your failure." Star Saber said, backing up into another starting position as Wing returned to her place. Charon gleamed in her hand, alive with the energy of its wielder.

 _A Knight is always calm. Her emotions are like water, flowing through her and out,_ Wing reminded herself, breathing in and out in an effort to control her emotions. She didn't answer, raising her sword and waiting for Star Saber.

"No response? I'm disappointed, Wing. Where's that silver tongue of yours? Did I cut it out?" Star Saber raised her sword in readiness, confident and relaxed.

 _Inner peace_. Wing's answer was a lunge at her opponent, her sword arcing down on Star Saber's. She followed with several successive blows, trying to keep her opponent defensive. It didn't work and Star Saber quickly pushed her back, laughing in her face as she did so.

A knight was serene, never letting her emotions get out of her control. She was not swayed by anger or sadness or pleasure; she was a leaf in the wind, calm and peaceful as she let the world move around her. Some of the greatest of their order and of the Sisters had this completely mastered, their calm unflappable no matter what happened to the City and her people.

Wing was fairly decent when it came to controlling her emotions, but one pleasure she couldn't deny herself was the thrill of fighting. She never felt more alive when she fought, never felt more powerful than when she pushed her body to its utmost limits. It was probably the _one_ thing she shared in common with Star Saber, but even that was stretching it. She loved to fight with companions, pushing each other to do their best and learning from their mistakes. Star Saber fought to destroy and dominate.

But Star Saber provided a challenge like no one else did; Wing had quickly risen to become one of the best Knights, even surpassing Axe, her teacher. Few could beat her. Star Saber was the only exception, and it both infuriated and excited her.

"Oh, if only I could do this properly." The redhead said as the fighting paused for a moment, circling each other. "Slide my sword through your pretty little skin, put you out of your misery."

"Getting a little ahead of yourself, aren't you?" Wing retorted, her words nearly lost in the screech of swords as she darted forward. She was warm all over, her skin and bones tingling. Instead of feeling exhaustion, she felt a rush of energy coming from somewhere deep in her. Peerless' gem flashed, eliciting a similar response from Charon.

She felt alive and wonderful in a way she hadn't in so long. Whole and complete.

In hindsight, the glowing skin and buzzing in her bones should have warned her what was coming, but she was so caught up in the moment of fighting that she didn't realize until it was too late.

* * *

 _A deafening symphony of thoughts swallowed her, drowning her. Calmness and passion, burning hatred and the warmth of love. Unconditional surrender to One greater than her, an old wound that never stopped hurting. Belief she was better than anyone, belief that she had to help people. The sharp sting of loneliness, the comfort of companions and friends. Pride and humility. She swung from one extreme to the other, never able to settle on the middle ground. It wasn't who she was; for her, there was no middle ground._

 _But who was she…?_

Her vision swam perilously as she opened her eyes (had she shut them before?), images wavering and doubling before they finally seemed to settle back to normal. She was kneeling, the familiar weight of her sword in her hand, bones burning and blood pounding as adrenaline poured through her body.

 _The conflicting thoughts and emotions screamed in her, driving her to do_ something _. Burn the nonbelievers. Protect the innocent. Burn those who stood against her. Help those who stood in need of comfort. She was Primus' ordained, her chosen to purify this world. She was one in a sea of many, wanting to help those who couldn't help themselves._

 _She was a warrior, the best. None could stand before her sword and might and defeat her._

 _She wasn't Wing, nor was she Star Saber. They were both weak, inconsequential compared to her._

 _She was…she was…_

"Wing, Star Saber? Guys, what happened? Why are you fused?"

Her gaze focused on the knight in front of her, her blonde hair spilling down her shoulders and brown eyes wide as she stood cautiously in front of her. Her companion stood behind her, sword in hand as she looked on in worry.

Sword. Fighter. _Enemy_.

 _I will destroy them ALL._

A moment later, the knight was flying across the sparring area, hitting the wall and crumpling against the ground where she stayed. She could feel a maniac grin spreading across her face as the other knight dropped into a defensive stance, openly shocked. It was so natural; after all, she always smiled. It was the last thing her foes saw before she brought judgment down on them. She was Primus' judge, unstoppable and powerful. The unworthy and the wicked burned before her.

"Wing, Star Saber? Guys, what are you doing?!"

She laughed, high and cold. Her sword, Peerless and Charon together as one, was raised high above her. So much power, she had so much power. The strength of a thousand soldiers, an army personified. "I am neither Star Saber nor Wing. I am Iudex, and it is time for you to be judged."

* * *

 _Also, I realized I never saved the edited version I had on Tumblr that fixed Star Saber's modified dialogue. So this is my unfortunately incorrect take on OniGil's Star Saber. Sorry about that!_


	4. Iudex pt2

**Chapter Summary** : Dai Atlas and Axe have to stop Iudex before she destroys the city.

* * *

" _It is my professional opinion that now is the perfect time to PANIC!"_ – **Monsters Inc.**

* * *

Being Governor of the city and head of the Knights that defended it meant early mornings, whether Dai Atlas wanted them to be early or not. There was always something that needed to be done, something that needed her attention before the normal chaos of running a city started up. That, and there was mediation and forms that always needed practicing. The list was never ending.

At least Axe was there to help with everything. She read everything that wasn't meant specifically for the Governor's eyes, knowing what needed to be approved or if it needed to be given to Dai Atlas. It helped save time and get as many things done as they could, something Dai Atlas was sincerely grateful for.

This particular morning found them in the Legislator's Offices, reading city reports and complaints with the remains of breakfast around them. Both were immersed in a holopad, quiet and relaxed around each other. There were very few Dai Atlas completely trusted this way; a lifetime of being in the center of politics and a high-profile target made it difficult to relax. Anyone could be an enemy.

Axe had proven herself to be trustworthy early on. Their history extended beyond the city, back when Dai Atlas had been a senator in Iacon, the capital city. This powerful, smiling lavender-haired woman had been hired as a Senator's bodyguard, there to protect Dai Atlas as she attended meetings and passed bills for the good of the country. Dai had expected Axe to be like most of her other bodyguards; there to serve her function, nothing more, and had dismissed her early on.

Axe was most definitely not like the other bodyguards. She had done more than protect Dai Atlas; she had taken care of her. Bringing her food, insisting that she get some sleep, being a listening ear for her speeches or frustrations, offering fashion advice…she had become a friend. A companion. A partner. She had left with Dai Atlas when the Senator wanted to leave the coming war behind, to pursue a life of helping neutrals and innocents who also wanted nothing to do with the war. And she continued to stay even now, doing what she could to help lighten the load on her Senator.

Many times, Dai Atlas wondered how she had gotten so lucky.

The quiet atmosphere was disrupted by a distant _thud_ , the shockwaves echoing faintly through the building. Both women's heads jerked up, warrior reflexes alert and ready for any dangers.

 _THUD._

"What the-?" Axe frowned in confusion, trying to pinpoint the source of the noise.

"This doesn't bode well." Dai Atlas said, sighing as she left her datapads behind and heading for the source of the sound. Axe was a heartbeat behind, an ever-present shadow at Dai Atlas' side.

It was too early in the morning for any nonsense.

As the two women descended down the halls, they were met with confusion; people didn't know what was going on either. Their question as answered a moment later when a Knight burst through the doors leading into the Offices, gasping for breath and blood streaming from a wound on the side of her face.

"Oenone, what happened?" Dai Atlas demanded, immediately heading for the Knight.

"Dai Atlas!" She gasped, face pale and eyes wide as she reached for the Head of her Order. "Dai Atlas, you have to hurry! She's going to destroy the City!"

"Peace," Dai Atlas ordered softly, holding her shoulders as her burgundy eyes met green ones. "Speak calmly, Oenone. What happened?"

The Knight nodded, taking a few deep breaths to center herself. When she spoke again, she sounded calmer, though still faintly panicked. "Wing and Star Saber, they were sparring this morning. My friends and I were watching when…Dai Atlas, they fused. And the fusion is going crazy; she's destroying everything in sight. They've shut the doors so she can't get out, but I don't know how long they're going to hold."

Silence met her statement.

"Thank you, Oenone." Dai Atlas said, sounding calm even though she didn't feel it. "Go find Redline; I will take care of the situation." Oenone nodded, looking relieved as she left in search of the city's CMO.

Axe let out a single, soft curse as they immediately left for the Warrior's Halls, making sure no one could hear them. The people needed to know they were calm and capable. "They _fused_?"

"It would appear so," she said, just as softly.

"The two strongest Knights who happen to just hate each other's' existence? This doesn't bode well." Another _thud_ punctuated her statement, louder and deeper than before. A distant howl of rage accompanied it. Both women picked up the pace, running towards the Halls.

The sight that met them was not a pretty one.

The sparring arena had suffered damage; huge gouges were all over the floor and in the walls. Some pillars had been knocked out, throwing debris everywhere and crumbling some of the upper floors. Sections of the floor had deep craters in them.

The source of the destruction was currently trying to break down one of the locked doors, snarling curses as she bashed the doors with her fists.

"Wing, Star Saber!" Dai Atlas called out, her own sword drawn. "Stop this, immediately!"

The combined being that was Wing and Star Saber whirled around. Wild red hair stood up all around her face with a single braid snaking behind her, two sets of eyes staring back at them. A maniac grin split her face.

"Have you come to fight me too?" The fusion asked, leaving the door behind as she strode towards the leader of the city. A huge sword with two gleaming gems sat on her back and all down her arms and neck were intricate tattoos, a mixture of Wing's wings and Star Saber's religious imagery and scripture. "You dare try to stop Primus' chosen warrior?"

"Guys, we don't want to fight you. We just want you to unfuse." Axe called to the fusion, battle axe ready in her hands.

"Wing, Star Saber, unfuse immediately." Dai Atlas ordered again, voice hard and cold. "Stop this. You've caused enough trouble."

The maniac smile vanished, replaced by confusion and then a terrifying scowl. "Who do you think you are, that you can order _me_ around? I am Iudex; I am the greatest warrior alive! You have no authority over me!" She shouted, yanking the sword off her back.

 _She's unstable,_ Dai Atlas realized, recognizing the severe mood swings. Iudex was barely holding it together. "I don't care who you are; I order you to unfuse now before I _make you_."

And just like that, the insane smile was back. "You cannot make me do anything, Dai Atlas." A heartbeat later, the giant woman was launching herself across the room at the smaller woman, sword swinging in a wide arc. Years of training kicked into gear and Dai Atlas moved to the side, nimbly dodging the giant sword. Axe moved in perfect unison to the other side, wisely refusing to try and meet the giant sword with her own weapon.

It was a stand-still: Iudex, for all her power and strength, wasn't quick enough to keep up with Axe and Dai Atlas, but she was able to keep Axe and Dai Atlas from touching her.

"Enough of this!" Iudex shouted, swinging her sword in a wide arc and forcing both women away. "This city is under condemnation; Primus has forsaken you! I must go purge the sinners and purify this city, for Her sake!" A moment later, her huge sword was hacking through the doors.

"Dai, she'll tear the city apart at this rate!" Axe shouted over the shrieking of torn wood.

"We have to fight her on equal grounds." Dai agreed, nodding her head at her partner. Axe returned the nod, placing the axe on her back and heading towards Dai Atlas, who sheathed her own sword.

It wasn't hard to open herself; as infrequently as they did this, the harmony always seemed to exist. It was simply a matter of tapping into it, touching it and letting it pour through them.

The world disappeared in a rush of color and energy and Dai Atlas felt her consciousness fade away.

* * *

 _The noise in her head was so loud, it felt like it was going to split open. She was never quite sure who was in charge; the part that called for mercy and peace, or the part that demanded damnation and law. Horror at the destruction she was causing, utter glee at the pain of the sinners she had attacked. It changed every moment, like the gusts of a hurricane._

 _Why did everything hurt? Why did she feel like she was barely held together at the seams?_

 _Why couldn't she think straight?_

"Iudex."

That was a new voice, one she hadn't heard before. She looked behind her, both sets of eyes immediately falling on a newcomer of her own height.

The pain and noise of her frenzied mind immediately fell silent, her entire being focused on one new thought.

 _Unicron has sent me a challenge._

The new woman had a warrior's build, long layered hair falling around her face. Two solemn eyes stared back at her and one set of arms was gripping something that looked like a naginata, wicked-looking and designed to carve enemies up to pieces. It would be a nice challenge for her own weapon.

"Cease and desist. I don't wish to fight you but I will if I must." Her voice was calm and deep, full of authority and intent. She meant to go through with her threat. Good; this would be a wonderful fight.

"We have a problem then, because I want to fight you!" Ripping her sword from the shattered ruins of the door, Iudex shot towards the other woman, blood singing with battle lust.

* * *

 _About six months later and I actually finished the second part! It's been sitting in my drafts since November or December and I finally felt like I was able to finish it in a somewhat-decent way._

 _What's better than two giant women? Two giant women, with giant swords, battling it out. Dai and Axe's fusion is way more stable but not as strong as Iudex, who's got a migraine of massive proportions going on right now. Oenone is a reference to the nymph Paris loved before the whole drama with Helen of Troy happened; I love the name and wanted to use it somehow. It's pronounced 'Oh-neh-no-nee'._

 _The next part is the actual battle itself, which should be way fun!_


End file.
